Arbor Day Reflections

One of the things I look for this time of year are the first buds and leaves on trees. They are the first signs that winter is nearly through (although who knows, this is Michigan…) and spring is in the air. Trees are the consummate signifiers of changing seasons, and with the change comes many ecological and quality-of-life benefits. So, while Arbor Day – observed this year on April 24 – may have started in Nebraska way back in 1874, Southeast Michigan has every reason to commemorate the fresh coat of foliage now spreading over our verdant landscape.

You might vaguely know it’s about trees but still be asking yourself, what exactly is Arbor Day? It is a day to celebrate trees and the benefits they bring to our communities. Often, the proximity between Arbor Day (last Friday in April) and Earth Day (April 22) results in jointly celebrated planting events, where communities gather to plant trees and connect with one another. While in-person plantings couldn’t be held this year due to COVID-19, there are still great opportunities to learn about and interact with our network of trees.

Our Regional Forests

Urban forests are extensive throughout Southeast Michigan, creating a connected ecological system and a network of beautiful parks and trails that communities and residents can interact with and enjoy. In Southeast Michigan alone, more than 900,000 acres of trees filter pollution and improve air quality, provide urban cooling and shade, increase property values, provide natural aesthetics, and more.

While forests occupy about 33 percent of land cover in the region, there are opportunities to add to the green infrastructure network we have. SEMCOG’s Green Infrastructure Vision for Southeast Michigan paves the way for communities to connect their urban systems with their ecological ones. The vision sets the goal of increasing overall regional tree canopy to 40 percent. Not only does this vision set goals for Southeast Michigan communities to adopt, it also helps to plan where green infrastructure should be implemented in the future.

The amazing thing is that so many communities are already working towards these goals and investing in tree plantings. The Green Macomb-Urban Forest Partnership supports tree plantings throughout the region, and has created an online map to track where tree plantings are happening in their communities. The Greening of Detroit has led in creating urban forests, planting more than 130,000 trees throughout Detroit since 1989. Many local communities are part of the Tree City USA partnership, which provides a framework for maintaining and expanding their urban forests. In fact, the City of Rochester Hills just celebrated their 30^th year of involvement with the Tree City USA program.

Trees play a big role in shaping communities, from the benefits they provide to residents, to the natural beauty they bring. Take a moment to look out your window, take a walk outside, or go find a trail to hike. You never know what trees you might find to appreciate!

To learn more about how people safely celebrated Arbor Day in 2020, check out the Arbor Day Foundation’s “Alternative Celebration Ideas.”